Spain Set to Construct the Largest Hydroelectric Power Facility in Western Europe
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Barcelona, Dec 5 (NationPress) Spain's leading electric utility company, Iberdrola, is gearing up to construct the largest hydroelectric power facility in Western Europe.
Construction will commence next year on Conso II, a pumped storage power station, also known as a Giga battery, located in the Sil basin in Ourense, in the northwestern region of Galicia, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
According to Cristian Fabrega, Coordinator of the Master in Renewable Energies and Energy Sustainability at the University of Barcelona, "This type of project is a rational step towards achieving alternatives that are currently unavailable; it's worthwhile, as many nations base their electricity systems on hydraulic energy and storage."
The power plant will connect the elevated Cenza reservoir with the lower Bao reservoir, leveraging a height difference of 690 meters to generate and store energy.
The construction is projected to span six years, with Iberdrola committing an investment of 1.5 billion euros (approximately $1.58 billion) to create infrastructure aimed at generating 100% renewable energy.
Fabrega noted that such investments are increasingly prevalent as energy companies pursue large-scale renewable energy projects, recognizing the need to diversify their operations beyond just oil and gas.
The Conso II facility will utilize excess solar energy generated during the daytime to pump water between the reservoirs, storing it until it is needed to produce electricity via turbines.
Iberdrola stated that this infrastructure will not necessitate new reservoirs or storage facilities, as it will make use of existing ones, ensuring a process that is "100% clean."
In terms of capacity, the plant is expected to generate 4,000 GWh annually, nearly double the output of any nuclear power facility in Spain, according to Iberdrola.
The company also indicated that the new facility is designed to maintain a reserve of 58 million kWh of storable energy, equivalent to the average daily consumption of 10 million users.
